Apparatus for extracting oil free nonoxidized juice



Jan. 22, 1946. R; B. MCKINNIS f APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING O'IL FREE NON OXIDIZED JUICE Original Filed May 6, 1940 Patented JanrZZ, 1946 APPARATUS FOR'EXTRACTING OIL FREE NONOXIDIZED JUICE.

Ronald B. 'McKinnis, Winter Haven, Fla.

Original application May 6, 1940, Serial No. 333,671. =Divided and this application November 20, 1943, Serial No. 511,194

'3 Claims. (01. 99-239) This invention is a division of my copending application Serial No. 333,671, filed May 6, 1940,

since issued into Patent No. 2,337,261, dated December 21, 1943, and relates to an apparatus for extracting Juice. from fruits and vegetables, and is particularly applicable to extraction. of juice from citrus fruits, though it is not exclusively of use with-fruits of that type. One of the desirable featurespf a process for juice extraction is to providemeans for obtaining substantially all of the juice, but without causing the juice to mix with the essential oils of the skin. If too much essential oil gets into the juice of oranges or grapefruit, the tasteof the juice is objectionable.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the extracting be performed under non-oxidizing conditions.

short exposure, and is progressive. That is to.

say, after the juice has been canned the deteri- 1 oration of the flavor and vitamin content continues if oxidation processes have been initiated prior to canning. i

Objects of the present invention are to provide an apparatus which will be simple and inexpensive, and which will extract juice whichis substantially uncontaminated by the essential oils ofthe skin or peel.

' A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which oxidation of'the juices, is substantially inhibited.

In general my invention consists in extractin the juicefrom fruits and vegetables, such as citrus fruit, by cutting the fruit into small segments, for instance by quartcring it, and then pressing these quartered sections. I maintain the peel in contact with one surface and the cut portion of the fruit in contact with another surnitrogen, or a mixture of the two, or other inert gases. I

i By making the segments of the fruit comparatively small, such as by quartering them, I am enabled to minimize the rupturing of .the oil sacs in the peel. This feature of minimizing the rupturing of the oil sacs is accomplished first by gradually flattening out the. peel during its passage through the squeezing mechanism, and secondly by having the peel area sufllciently small so that it does not have to be subjected to severe bending forces andthu's the tendency of the oil sacs to rupture and discharge the essential oils is largely inhibited.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a sectional view showing diagrammatically one form of apparatus-which I may employ;

Figure 2 isa sectional view taken along the line 22 .of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view takenalong the line3-3ofFigum1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 01 Figure 1.

oranges are being extracted, is quartered, and

the quartered sections, which I'have shown by thenumeral I, are passed into a chute 2, whose sides form an angle with each other of approximately 90, as is shown in Figure 2. The seed sac' side of the segment contacts the side walls vof the chute 2, and the peel portion of the seg-|-' ment is adapted to bear against the periphery 3 of a rotating element 4. The movement of the rotating element 4 inthe direction indicated by thearrow will cause the segments l of fruit to be carried along as illustrated byarrows 5. The

-' trough 2 is gradually flattened out, as illustrated face. Thus when the juice is expressed the essential oils'iound in the peel are prevented from 4 coming into contact with the expressed juice.

may be in the form of atrough which fits the. segment of fruit being extracted.-. For instance,

where segments of quartered fru-itare the walls of the guideway wiliforn substantially a angle to each other at staftofthe process.

The guideway becomeslilatteried as the segment is pressed and a scedextra'cting section is pro-3 .vided. The whole carried on in the presence ofinert gas,'such as'carbon dioxide,

in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3 the angle formed by the sides-of the trough 2 is shown to be about In Figure 4 the trough has become flattened out.

During the passage of the segment I along the trough 2, the segment is graduallyflattened, as

illustrated in the drawing, until it reaches a position substantially opposite the line 4-4 of Figvure 1. There is formed in the relatively flat sec-. tion' 2 a series of elongated apertures 6 through;

which seeds 'I can be discharged. The flattened and fully extracted segment I is discharged in its flat form, as illustrated at 8 in Figure. 1.

The trough Z is adapted to be housed in a housins l which isprovided with interior shoulders llupon which rest packing element ll against which bear periphery 3 ofthe rotating ele- The whole citrus fruit, for instance whereinert gas to the housing to ment 4 and flanges l2 which are-formed at right 'angles to the surface 3. Because ofthis con-"- .struction there is a gas-tight flt between the rotating element 4 and the housing 9. At the point l3 where the end of the trough 2 projects outside oithe casing 9., a suitable rubber flap, not shown, is provided, or some other construction which will permit the entrance of the segments of fruit I without permitting escape of a .large quantity of the inert gas, such as CO:, which is fed into mentsof citrus fruit comprising a rotatable drum,

the casing 9 through an aperture it formed therein.

, The extracted juice and seeds are collected in a pool l5 formed at the lowermost point of. the casing 9, and can be discharged throughan outletl6 formed at that point. Though the form of device diagrammatically-illustrated is adapted to receive quartered fruit, it is obvious that fruit of other size than quarter size may be used. It

is desirable that :the cut surface of the fruit conadapted to move the segments through the ,pas-

sageway to express the juice from the segments.

a trough shaped housing member positioned about said plate member and. engaging said drum for enclosing said passageway, and means for introducing an inert gas to the housing to provide a non-oxidizing atmosphere therein.

4. An apparatus for extracting juice-from sega stationary plate member spiraling toward the peripheral surface of the drum and forming therewith a constricting passageway, said drum being adapted to move the segments through the pastact'the sides of the-chute or trough 2, but this is not absolutely necessary as the pressure exerted bythe operation is such as to cause the .der non-oxidizing conditions and then pasteur ized in the containers, or alternately the strained.

juice may be flash pasteurized and canned under conditions to prevent oxidation of the juice. 1 While I have shown diagrammatically one of pparatus may be employed which lie within th spirit of theinvention, and I therefore desire that the invention be. limited only by the scope of theappended claims and the showing of the prior art.

.I claim: a

, 1. An apparatus for extracting juice from segments of citrus fruit comprising a rotatable drum,

a stationary plate member spirallingtoward the peripheral surface of the drum and forming therewith a constricting passageway,v said drum being adapted to move the segments through th eway to express the juice from the segprovidea non-oxidizing atmosphere therein.

2. An apparatus for extracting juice from segments of citrusfruit comprising a rotatable the peripheral surface of the drum and forming j therewith a constrictin passageway, said drum a stationaryplatemember spiralling tow being adapted tomove. the segments through the passagewayto ,express the juice from the segments, a housing substantially enclosing the'plate and passageway, means for introducing an inert 7 cut surface of the fruit to quickly conform to the sageway to express the juice from the segments, a trough shaped housing positioned about the plate member aiid having sidewalls lying adjacent 'the ends of said. drum, flexible gasket means interposed between the said sidewalls and drum and forming a gas tight seal between said housing and drum and means for introducing inert gas into said housing to provide a non-oxidizing atmosphere therein. F

5. An apparatus for extracting juice from egments of citrus fruit comprising a rotatable drum, a stationary substantially arcuate presser plate positioned below said drum and spiralling toward the drum .in the directionof rotation thereof, and' forming therewith a graduallyconstricting passageway, the drum being adapted to move the fruit segments through the passageway to express the juice from the segments, ,apertures in the presser plate, a housing around the presser plate and engaging the drum tovsubstantially enclose said passageway, and means for introducing inert 85 gas into said housing.

6. An apparatus for extracting juice fromsegments of citrus fruit comprising a movable memform of apparatus,it is obvious that other forms.

her, a stationary member having an input. end and an output end spiralling toward the movable 40 member forming a gradually constricting passageway, the movable member adapted to move the segments through the passageway, the stationary member, being trough shaped at the input "end and progressively flattening at the output end whereby the fruit segment are gradually flattened between thev movable member and the stationary, member to extract the juice as the segments move from the input end to the output segments moving between ments, a hpusing substantially enclosing the plate and eway, and means for introducing an end, ahousing enclosing said stationarymember, and means to admit inert gas within the housing.

to provide a non-oxidizing atmosphere for the ments of citrus fruit comprising a rotatable drum a stationary plate member spiraling toward the p ripheral surface of the drum and forming there with a constricting passageway said drum being stricting passageway having an input end and member having a smooth cylindrical peripheral surface, and a smooth stationary plate member spiralling toward the peripheral surface of the movable drum forming therewith a gradually constricting passageway, said movable member being movable drum forming therewith a gradually 0011- the movable member an output end, the stationary plate member be-v ing spaced from said peripheral surface at the input end of the passageway a distance substantiaily in excess oi! the thickness of the fruit se ment and being spaced from the peripheral surface at the output end or the passageway a distance substantiallythethickness oi the fruit peel,

said drum member being adapted to move the mosphere therein.

' RONALD B. McKINNIS. 

